Vehicle lifting device



Mar. 6, 1923.

E. J. BECKER ET AL' VEHICLE LIF'TING DEVICE Filed Feb. 27

M ew

WSW L Ir IIIIIIIIIIIM'L Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

tartan bi l i EDWARD J. BECKER AND REMIG F. STOESER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

VEHICLE LIFTING DEVICE.

Application filed February 27, 1920. Serial No. 361,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD J. Brenna and Rnivrro F. Sronsnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Lifting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in hoisting devices, andmore particularly to those used for lifting motor vehicles and the like, and for securely holding the vehicle in its lifted position.

The objects of our improvements are to provide for lifting any one of anumber of different sized vehicles, of varying design and construction in their running gear, with a minimum of care in adjustment of the device and without excessive labor in the actual lifting operation, and to hold the vehicle securely in its lifted position so that it will not be displaced therefrom, as by collision of other vehicles therewith. A further object is to provide for bringing the device into a compact condition for storage or transportation, or from that condition into condition for use as aforesaid, without the need of much care or skill in adjusting or placing the various parts of the device. Other objects, among which is that of constructing the device as simply and inexpensively as is consistent with its purposed use, will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

lVe attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure l is a plan view of the device,

adjusted to its operative position under a vehicle, the necessarily shown parts of the latter being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the device with the vehicle elevated thereby and indicated as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devoice in folded condition;

Fig. 4L is an enlarged perspective view of the front-end parts of the device, in unfolded and operative condition.

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical lengthwise section of said front-end part on a plane corresponding to the line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on the scale of Fig. 4%, of rear-corner partsof the device,

in unfolded and operative condition.

a sw ll. e de i e s s elongated with means to stabilize the device after the lifting has been accomplished.

As exemplified herein, the elongatedframe comprises the side bars 1 and 2 at leftan'd right, respectively, each made of a channel with its web vertical and its flanges extending in toward the middle of the frame. Attached to the rear-end part of each channel 1 and 2 is a respective hookshaped section 3 or 4, made of an angle-bar with an upright flange riveted to the sidebar channel web and the other flange extending under and riveted to the bottom flange of the channel. This angle-bar inclines downwardly and rearwardly from this attachment and is then curved upwardly and forwardly, bringing its transverse flange to the top. The upright flange of the angle is cut away leaving this end of the section pointed, and the transverse flange thus brought to the top, is bent down onto upwardly forwardly of said end. The rear section 6 or 7 is achannel like the main side-bar 1 or 2, with its web upright and its flanges extending inwardly of the frame, but with itslower flange severed from its web back a snfficient distance from the front end of the section and bent down and riveted to the transverse flange of the hooksection where it curves upwardly; while the web of this channel is riveted to the upright flange of this hook section 3 or 4, as the case may be, and the top flange of this channel 6101 7 is riveted to the bent-down transverse" angle of the hook-section 3' or l. Preferably, the webs of the channels -1 or 2, and 6 or 7, are cut obliquely, the former i leaving the recess 5 unobstructed, with the nose 8, formed by the riveted-together flanges of the sections 3 or 4 and 6 or 7,

extending forwardly thereover behind the entrance thereto; To accomplish this ar range nent of the parts while keeping themain side-bars 1 or 2 alined with the rear' sections 6 or 7 the hook sections 3 and 4 have.

a slight compound tendon "a transverse:-

1 1, respectively, with theinmembers abo 'it; l r zontal andiq nte ins etweeni he fl ngesof the rear sections Grand 7 respec.tively, and pivotedithereto.by pins-16- passed up right through the membersand flanges. and preferably riveted' orheaded at their. upper nd w r nds Lst ln ok 1 are so pivoted on these pinsjjust above the lower" membersof: the respective-forks14L and 15,. each havingv a lug 18 toward the outside o f theafran e as the, hook is-swungpnearwardly,, and having a short handle 19 .c'ontinned out mthe ook cat ns The rear 1egs20 are channels. with their flanges. inward, and here hinges .21. attheir upper forward corners attached to the. rearsections .6 and 7 on the bottoms thereof and, far enough forward to,have therear sides of the legs-.20. about even with-the rear, ends. of the sections 6, and 7 whenthe legs, are swung down; into upright position with the leg, topsengaging up against the section bottoms, Hasps-22 fixed inside-the channel legs 20,. extend past their upper ends, with openings that receive the lugs. of the, repe ti e o ks-l7 when the as'i sz a ep sse up; through registering; openings in the lower flanges of the- .secti,ons "6 andl7 arid the lower members of the, respective, forks 1A: and 15;, as thelegs20 are swung to their upright positions. The -hooks 17 thus fasten the legs 20 in these positions, and the hasps 22, through the registering openings, lock vthe strut 9-substant1ally at right angles to the frame sideelements which it connects. To per nit thelower members of" the forks 14 and 15 to; pass outward, the, webs. of the rear sectionsro, and 7 are recessed at their ,rear ends; and the u-ppei; fork members. are

out to approximately triangular there o file-a h se e which amino-t u awayabove' Each leg-120, has" in. its front flange ar -its. ;lower,end-.- an aperture 23;

v. r, 1. ars.-2ere; newl ne-reps oithegbottoin flel aesof, t e s tio s and to sl de en th se ereo an ha in a hook- 25;: extendin -down through alongitudinal slot in the respective supporting,lflaiige, wi han eel-i ed esead pti i t. o Slip into the ee pert r s or s- 20 i w ng forwardly n upwardly againstjthe bet o i fithe eotion fiantlt'o oolaunds cassettes-apertureh ns' l elegri its folded position. Springs 2 26 momenta the webs of the sections o and 7 engage in apertures in the latch bars 24 to effect this latching engagement and to yield and permit manual unlatching.

A short distance back from the front end of each main side-bar 1 or 2, the respective front leg 20 is mounted to swing down forwardly on its hinge 21', the same as the rear legs, and like them, having a latch bar 2 1 cnthe bottom flange of the side-bar 1 or 'Zw itS hook. 25 engaging through the leg aperture 23 under the action of its spring '26. To fasten these front legs 20upright, bolts 27 slide down in guides 28flxed to the outer. sidesof the respective side-bars 1 and 2 and enter sockets 29 on the outer sides of 'thelegs20 at their tops.

The front. end of the frame is a yoke 30 comprising a channel with its flanges downward andwit-hits web end-parts pivoted to the under sides of the bottom flanges of the side-bars 1 and 2 by pins 31 passed upright through the web and both flanges of the bars 1 and2. Latch hooks, 17 are also pivoted on these pins just above the lower flanges of the bars 1 and 2, each having a lug 18 toward the out-side of the frame when the hook is swung forwardly, being like the hook 17 at the rear end of the device, before described, with their handles 19.

The wheel forks 32 have the wheels 33 between their members, journaled on pins 3 1 the. members near the lower free ends thereof; and the top junction part of the f k lies up inside the channel of the yoke 30, near the respective end thereof, in such position that when the fork extends down the wheel'33' is presented for rolling the entire device lengthwise. The upper inner cornor of each fork 32 has the hinge 35 connecting it to the under side of the yoke chair nel web tolpermit the fork and wheel to be swung laterally inwardly and upwardly close t the bottom of the'yoke, as shown by the dottedlines in Fig. 1. Near the upper outer corner of this fork, an car 36 projects up, and the web of the channel of the yoke 30v and the lower flanges of the side-bar 1 or 2 have, openings that register when the parts ar swung substantially at right angles to each other, so thatth'e respective car 36 projects up through the openings upon swingthe, wheel fork 32 to upright position. and, the nets 1100i; 17" rim-r ges lug is" engaged intheear, the fork and the frame sides and yoke are all looked in their open operatiye positions.

7 Midway of its length the yoke channel has ajournalfopening through its web; and an arch-bar 37 is riveted to the top of the yoke by its feet 38 at opposite sides of the 40 -has its teet'li- 431' on 'it-s upper circ'ular 4:7 in front of the collar iz).

face, said teeth being relatively positioned like the teeth on a. crown gear, and has its short lowerhub projection 42 in the web opening and the upper-end part of its longer upper hub projection e3 in the arch-bar opening, this disk resting on the top of the yoke. The ratchetrbar l4: has a middle opening receiving the ratchet-disk hubprojection 43, with a collar 45 around this projection spacing the bar down from the arch-bar top, and a washer 46 around this projection spacing the bar up from the ratchet-disl-z teeth 41, so that this bar may thus swing in a transverse plane above and coaxial with the disk d0. The'paWl-yoke 4:7 lies across the top of the ratchet-bar ii in front of the collar 45 and has its side members extending back and flanking the bar el-a and pivoted to the rear-end part thereof by a transverse pin 48. A U-shaped wire spring 49 has the rear end parts of its legs 50 coiled around lateral projections of the pivot pin 48 and bent under the adjacent parts of the ratchet-bar i l, while the front transverse part of this spring 49 bears down on the top of the pawl-yoke The middle of the pawl-yoke 47 has fixed on its lower side the pawl 51 projecting down against the ratchet-disk teeth ll. The front end part of the ratchet-bar d4: is forked, with a transverse pin 52 through its fork-members; and a handle-bar 58 has a forked end to slip between the ratchet-bar fork-members and straddle the pin 52, so that this handle-bar may swing up and down on the pin to make it convenient to'the reach of the operator, but will bind between the ratchet-bar forkmembers for swinging the ratchet-bar in alternate transverse directions, thus turning the ratchet-disk 40 in its bearings in the yoke 30 and arch-bar 37 by means of the pawl 51 riding freely over the teeth il one way, and engaging the teeth the other way, under the control of the spring 49.

The hub of the ratchet-disk 4.0 has a square opening entirely through it axially. The

'ack-screw on has the s uare u wardl' ro- II P y P jecting shank 55 slipped into this square opening, and this screw 54 is threaded into the base 56. The bearing-head 57 also has a square opening through it axially, and is slipped onto this square shank 55 down against a transverse bearing-pin 58 which passed through either one of a plurality of openings 59 transversely through the shank 55, before the shank is passed up through the ratchet-disk hub.

By having this bearinghead 5? thus adapted to he fixed at various heights on the screw 54;, quickadjust-ment of the ack device is facilitated in situations where the jack device might have to rest on a surface considerably lower than that supporting the wheels 33. p

Any of the various well known jaeh constructions may readily be adapted for use with our invention, as will be understood The front-end yoke 30 of the frame is made short enough to permit the front end to pass between the wheel mountings of the narrowest vehicle to be lifted; but the rear end of the frame may be adjusted by means of its telescoping arrangement of its tube 10 and bar 11, held at any desired adjustment within a considerable range by the set screw 13. ihis rear adjustment of the frame width is preferable because of the wide variation in the design of various rear-axle constructions on the vehicles to be lifted. By this means, the frame bars can. be brought between the diliel'ellt-ial casing 13 (Fig. 1) at the middle, and the more or less extended rear-wheel mountings, brakeconetructions, and the like, the respective sides, on the different vehicles.

Many vehicles have brace-rods B (Fig. S3) running from their differential casings 13. out to the end parts of the axles on the under sides thereof. hers only, and do not have the stren th, as beams, to receive the weight of the rear parts of the vehicle, as they would if permitted to bear on the frame-sides of our device. Hence the recesses 5 formed in the inserted sections 23 and i, with the noses 8 extending u forwardly thereover; the latter directly receiving the amply strong main axle part C of the vehicle, and the brace-roe B occupying the reces" 5 of the respective section 3 or t, free of contact with any part that would bend or otherwise injure it. These. recesses 5 are preferably made amply large so that the noses 8 can project any required. distance forwardly of them to engage under the axle part C in accordance with the height of this part from the ground or iloor, as will be understood from the ensuing description of the anode of use of the do ice.

Supposing the device to be folded as in Fig. 3, it is unfolded into its rectangular condition and the rear legs 20 are dropped to upright position and they and the rear corners of the frame are locked together by the hooks 1'7, as before described. 'he wheelforks 3.2 are CllOl'JPGi'l to night position, and they iil the front co iers of the frame are similarly locked together by 17. These forks 32 shorter rear legs I 20, so that the device inclines downwardly :lorwardly, with front end supported on its wheels it is-thus wheeled forwaivlly under the vehicle from the rear thereol until the top of the frame AIZIQGF; undir the rear axle C. The rear 2-), which, during the wheeling, were iltiii il from the ground or floor, will now rest on the ground or floor. The jack-screw 541-, screwed down in its base 56, is now broug t under the front of the frame, with hag-head 57 adjusted. to the proper i. ts be r These rods are tension men1- height, and the top of the screw is inserted up through the ratchet-disk hub. Then the handle-bar is applied as before described, and the ratchet is worked to turn the screw 54 in the base 56 in the direction to raise the front end of the device, which, upon engagement of the top of the frame with the vehicle front-axle D, will raise the front end of the vehicle; the rear end beginning to be raised as soon as the ratcheting is begun, by virtue of the entire device swinging upward with the bottoms of its rear legs 20 as the fulcrum. lVhen the front end has been raised far enough to permit the front legs 20 to be swung down, these are brought into this position and locked by the bolts 27. The jack-screw 54 may now be screwed down in its base 56 by means of the handle-bar and ratchet, allowing the front of the vehicle to be supported by the front legs 20; and if desired, this screwing down may be continued, permitting the jack-screw and its base 56 and bearing-head 57 to be removed from the rest of the device. This permits these parts to be used on any one of several devices hoisting and holding as many vehicles; being very useful in this respect, especially in garages where many ve hicles are cared for. Likewise with the removable handle-bar 53, which would be an obstruction if permanently attached to the device.

With the vehicle thus supported on the four legs 20 and 20, which are rigidly locked in their upright supporting positions, it cannot be pushed from its elevated position by collision of other heavy objects, such as running vehicles, as frequently may occur in garages or elsewhere. Between these legs there are no low-hanging obstruct-ions, so that free access is permitted for repairing, adjusting or cleaning the under parts of the vehicle. This simplicity of construction and arrangement is not accompanied with any disadvantage in the hoisting op eration; the lifting being all accomplished with a single jack device, and. the rear of the vehicle being lifted thereby at av great mechanical advantage. since the entire frame acts as lone, lever of the second order. Also, this lever action is realized to some extent in lifting the front part, since the jack device is some distance forward from the bearing of the front axle D on the frame, and. as'is well'known, the center of gravity of". the vehicle is almost invariably to the rear of ,this'front axle. The frame is made long enough to receive vehicles of the greatest'length of wheelbase, and as the front axle D may rest at any point simply on the frame top, and the rea 1 axle without bracerods B may rest likewise, while the recesses 5 and noses 8 are long enough to accommodate brace-rod rear axles at any practical height relative tothe rear legs 20, asbefore described, there is no necessity o-fany specially adjustable bearing. means at the top of the device to receive the axles of vehicles of different lengths of wheel-base. This greatly simplifies the application of the device to the vehicle. 7

The simultaneous locking. of the rear legs 20 and frame rear corners, and of the wheel forks 32 and frame front corners, and the unlocking of these parts in the same way, facilitates the setting-up and taking. down of the device. The compact folding of all of the legs and of the wheel mountings of the device, and the folding of the entire frame into a long, narrowcondition, permits the device to be stored and shipped readily; for instance, it can be placed upright in a corner of the garage or other room when not in use, and. in shipping, requires no special crate and the shipping expense is much lower than for such a device in its extended operative condition.

We prefer the special interchangeable j acl: device herein described; but it ispracticable to supply the device for use with any ordinary vehicle jack, which may be placed under the front yoke. The special jack, with its shank or screw upper-part 55 through the ratchet-disk hub, has an advantage in that the device and vehicle are prevented from being displaced if a collision of another vehicle or the like occur while the hoisting is being done, before the stabilizing front legs 20 are swungdown and locked.

Other variations may occur; as, for instance, the jack device may be made nondetachable, and its handle bar may be permanently mounted thereon, and the wheel mountings and the rear legs may be permanently secured in extended operative condition. The front legs 20- may be eliminated. relying on the three-legged support of the rear legs and jack device; and the entire device may be constructed to remain permanently in extended operative condition. Any one orv all of these variations may occur in a. single example, as well as any one or several of many other variations in the details of construction and arrangement, with corresponding advantages or disadvantages accordingly as conditions of use or considerations of expense of construction may dictate, or to meet the desires of individual users; it being our intent. that any of these modified devices be secured to us if within the scope of our invention as claimed herein. Thus, while the device is herein exemplified as one for application .to the vehicle from the rear end thereof, many vehicles permit of the insertion of thisxor a substantially similar device from the front end, and elevation at the rear end, with the advantage of lifting the heavier front end with the greater. mechanical advantage. l 3 Q between said fulcrum and said Obviously, the inserted hook sections 3 and 4 may be omitted if the device be designed for use only on vehicles not requiring thes provisions; or these details may be reversed or otherwise modified to suit special conditions.

One mode of use to which our invention is adapted is the leaving of it in operative condition on the garage floor and running the vehicle, either forwardly or backwardly as the case may be under varying conditions as just alluded to, over the device until in. position to be lifted thereby. This is advantageous especially in small private garages, where the extended device is no obstruction between uses, because the vehicle may thus be elevated at each storage there of, as over night, relieving the tires of the pressure of the vehicle while out of use. The ease with which this is accomplished with the single jack device operating at the marked mechanical advantage before described, makes the device especially suitable for this kind of. use.

These possible adaptations and the susceptibility of our device to modifications under various conditions make it apparent that the specific example is herein disclosed with those contingencies in view, and ther fore, while certain constructional details are deemed preferable in connection with our invention, and we have shown and described these rather specifically in thus elucidating the construction and use of our invention, as is required, we do not wish to be understood as being limited to such pre cise showing and description, but having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vehicledifting device comprising a structure to be raised and lowered, laterally spaced fulcrum means connected solely to said structure near one end of said structure, holding said structure at a predetermined height, and lifting means con nected solely to said structure near the opposite end of said structure and confined to the middle of the structure, whereby said fulcrum means and said lifting means constitute a three-point support for the structure, said structure being adapted to receive the front'and rear axles of the vehicle lifting means.

2. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a frame having its parts hinged together tofold out of operative condition, a fulcrum member hinged to said frame near one end thereof to fold out of operative condition, and means to simultaneously lock said frame and fulcrum member in their operative conditions.

3. A vehicle-lifting device comprising an element having a fulcrum near one end holding said element at a predetermined height, lifting means near the other end of said ele ment, rotary supporting means, and a mounting for said rotary supportin means connected to said element near saiu lifting means.

4:. iii vehicle-lifting device comprising an element having a fulcrum near one end, lifting means near the other end of said element, rotary supporting means, and a mounting for said rotary supporting means hinged to said clement near said lifting means, to fold out of operative position. 7

5. A. vehicle-lifting device comprising an element having a fulcrum near one end, lifting means near the other end of said element, rotary supporting means, a mounting for said rotary supporting means hinged to said element near said lifting means, to be folded out of operative condition, and means to lock said mounting of said rotary supporting means in unfolded operative condition.

6. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a frame having its parts hinged together to fold out of operative condition, a fulcrum near one end of said frame, lifting means near the other end of said frame, rotary supporting means, a mounting for said rotary supporting means hinged to said frame near said lifting means, to fold out of operative condition, and means to simulta neously lock said frame and said mounting of said rotary supporting means in unfolded operative condition.

7. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a frame having its parts hinged together to fold out of operative condition, a fulcrum hinged te said frame near one end of said frame, to fold out of operative condition, lifting means near the other end of said frame, rotary supporting means, a mounting for said rotary supporting means hinged to said frame near lifting means, to fold out of operative condition, means to simultaneously lock one end of said frame and said fulcrum is unfolded operative condition, and means to simultaneously lock the opposite end of said frame and said mounting of said rotary supporting means in unfolded operative condition.

8. In a vehicle-lifting device, a frame comprising side-bars, stut between adjacent end parts of said bars, and yoke between the opposite end parts of said bars. lifting means engaging said yoke near the middle of said yoke, rotary supporting means, mountings for said rotary suppering means connected to said frame cpposite ends of said yoke, and fulcrum members on said frame near opposite ends of said strut.

9. A vehicle-lifting device comprising side-bars, a strut between adjacent end parts of said bars, a yoke between the opposite end parts of said bars, lifting means engaging said yoke near the middle of said yoke, stabilizing elements near opposite ends of said yoke, adapted to be brought into operative condition after the lifting operation, and fulcrum members near opposite ends of said strut.

10. In a vehicle-lifting device, a frame comprising side-bars, a strut between adjacent end parts of said bars, and a yoke between the opposite end parts of said bars, lifting means engaging said yoke near the middle of said yoke, rotary supporting means, mountings for said rotary supporting means connected to said frame near opposite ends of said yoke, stabilizing elements hinged to said frame near opposite ends of said yoke, to be brought into operative condition after the lifting operation, and fulcrum members on said frame near opposite ends of said strut.

11. A vehicle-lifting device comprising side-bars, a strut pivoted to said bars between adjacent end parts of said bars, a. yoke pivoted to said bars between opposite end parts of said bars, said strut and said yoke being adapted to swing on said bars substantially in the transverse plane of the device, lifting means engaging said yoke near the middle of said yoke and adapted to be displaced from its operative position relative to said yoke, rotary supporting means,

mountings for said rotary supporting means pivoted to said yoke near opposite ends of said yoke to fold inwardly and upwardly toward said yoke, stabilizing elements pivoted to the respective side-bars near the respec tive rotary supporting means and adapted to fold upwadly toward the respective bars, and fulcrum members pivoted to said side-bars near opposite ends of said strut and adapted to fold upwardly toward the respective bars.

12. A vehicle-lifting device comprising side-bars, a strut pivoted to said bars between adjacent end parts of said bars, a yoke pivoted to said bars between opposite end parts of said bars, said strut and said yoke being adapted to swing on said bars substantially in the transverse plane of the device, lifting means engaging said yoke near the middle of said yoke and adapted to be displaced from its operative position relative to said yoke, rotary supporting means, mountings for said rotary supporting means pivoted to said yoke near opposite end parts of said yoke to fold inwardly and upwardly toward said yoke, stabilizing elements pivoted to the respective side-bars near the respective rotary supporting means and adapt ed to fold upwardly toward the respective bars, fulcrum members pivoted to said sidebars near opposite ends of said strut, me-ans for simultaneously locking said strut and the respective fulcrum members in their 0-perative posit-ions, and means to simultaneously lock said yoke and the respective mountings for the rotary supporting means in their operative positions.

13. A vehicle-lifting device comprising side-bars with upwardly opening recesses near adjacent endparts, a strut between said end parts of said bars, a yoke between the opposite end parts of said bars, lifting meansv engaging said yoke, and fulcrum members near opposite ends-of said strut.

14L. A vehicle-lifting device comprisingan elementhaving a fulcrum near one end, a yoke near the other end of said element, an arch-bar on top of said yoke, said arch-bar and said yoke having alined openings, a ratchet element between said arch-bar and said yoke, journaled in said openings, a pawl element mounted to opera-tively engage said ratchet element, and a jack screw operatively engaged by said ratchet element.

15. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a vehicle-engaging element with a recess and a nose projecting partly across said recess, and means for lifting saidelement.

16. A vehicle -lifting device comprising channel sections and a section formed of an angle-bar bent. into hook shape with the entrance of the hook upward, said angleebar having an upright flange fastened to the webs of the channel sections and a transverse flange fastened to the lower flange of one of the channel sections and to the upper flange of the other channel section, and means for lifting the structure thus constituted. i i 17. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a frame made up of side channels with their flanges extending inwardly of the frame toward each other, a strut made upof end forks pivoted between the top and bottom flanges of the channels, a tube on one of the forks and a. bar on thebther fork, secured in saidtube, and lifting means connected with said frame.

18. A vehicle-lifting device comprising a frame made up of side channels with their flanges extending inwardly of the frame. toward each other, a yoke made up of a channel with its flanges extending downwardly and its web pivoted to the lower flanges of said side channels near adjacent ends there of, lifting means engaging with said yoke, and connecting and supporting means connected to said channels near their other ends.

EDWARD J. BECKER. REMIG l STBESE-R. 

